DarkSpore - Interview @ RPS

RPS: Can you explain the concept behind risk/reward, and collection strategy?

Perry: Darkspore has a pretty unique campaign system that we call “chaining”. Instead of playing through one long campaign, in Darkspore, you’ll play on alien planet levels that are about 15 minutes long. Before each level, you’ll learn what enemies are on the planet, and then choose which squad of heroes you’ll bring to fight them. After you fight through the level and defeat the horde or boss at the end, you’re given a major choice: collect a special item of gear loot and return to your spaceship, or forfeit the loot and continue on to another planet level. Why continue? The enemies on the next planet are harder to defeat, but the special loot reward at the end is much better. However, your heroes had better be prepared to win the next level, because if you lose, you won’t get any loot at all.